Tuesday, March 31, 2015, 3:51 p.m.

3 dead in shooting at Indiana grocery store

ELKHART, Ind. — A man fatally shot two women in a northern Indiana grocery store Wednesday night and was lining up to shoot a third person when police officers tracked him down and killed him, authorities said.

Elkhart police received a call about a gunman at Martin's Super Market about 10 p.m. Wednesday, Indiana State Police Sgt. Trent Smith said Thursday.

The 22-year-old gunman used a semi-automatic handgun to shoot and kill a 20-year-old employee and a 44-year-old shopper, Smith said. The victims' bodies were found about 12 aisles apart.

Smith said two police officers responding to the scene heard a gunshot as they entered the near-empty store. They dashed to that area and found the shooter pointing his gun at a third person. Smith said the man then aimed his gun at the officers and that's when they shot him dead.

Smith applauded the officers' swift response, saying there was no doubt they saved lives.